Transport of the newborn

Analysis of facilities used in the transfer of neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) to the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (N.I.C.U.) of the Free University Amsterdam during the period 1969-1976 revealed many deficiencies. Most of the sick newborn infants were accompanied by inadequately trained personnel. In a number of cases they were in incubators which could hardly guarantee the neutral thermal temperature for the infant concerned. In the most cases there were no facilities either for resuscitation or for ventilatory assistance during transport. It was found that infants born in the referring hospitals more often required artificial ventilation than infants born in the University Hospital. Since the former were--on an average--more severely ill than the latter, the duration of ventilatory assistance was usually longer and their survival rate was lower. Retrospectively, in many instances referred infants were on admission already in such a condition that artificial ventilation should have been started long before. General aspects of newborn transport, viz. way of transport, incubator with facilities for emergency care i.e. artificial ventilation and intravascular therapy, accompanying personnel, stabilization of the infant, role of education and evaluation of the transport are discussed.